We Hear You! Letters from Our March 2013 Issue

Hi Meredith: I am a subscriber of MORE and truly enjoy the magazine geared toward women 40+.

Given the demographic you are looking to entertain and inspire, I am a bit surprised to see the current changes in your magazine to a font size that seems to be geared toward "fine print", not comfortable reading.

I understand the costs of putting a magazine on paper is increasingly more difficult as publications keep transitioning to web-site viewership, but is there any chance your team could cater to your audience and increase that font size?...... Not asking for font size 14 mind you, but something that is readable for those of us in the 40+, visually challenged readership.

Beyond that, keep up the good work!

Best regards,

--Jan Kincaid

I have been a subscriber from almost the start and have found most articles and advice very interesting and helpful. Even my husband reads MORE! Your articles of advice by age are usually spot on, but I must tell you how disappointed I was with the article on what to wear in the March 2013 issue. As I read each decade before me (I am 63), I felt the advice was well done. But I was shocked to see that you think the 60s decade can only wear black and white, with absolutely no hint of color. Seems so stereotypical and definitely defines the 60s decade as having passed into the era of "old". I expected more from you.

--Sharon Smith

Dear Lesley:

I really enjoy More and have subscribed for several years. As men used to say about Playboy,” I read it for the articles”. But for me , that is a true statement. The contributors are outstanding with every issue. I usually portion out one day of a weekend and read the current issue from cover to cover.

Having said all of that, let me say I am not oblivious to fashion and all that goes with it. I am currently 70 years old, still employed full time and enjoy my work –which keeps me fully engaged and active intellectually. So - I am still very interested in fashion trends and spend money on clothing each season, for the office, social events and weekends. I like to think I have moved on from the clothing of my youth (30-40s), and even into maturity (50-60s) and try to dress age appropriate.

However – I am very disappointed in the March 2013 issue “Dressing by the Decade”. All black and white for any woman over 60? Really?? Are we to have no color or fun in our wardrobe or our lives? Your editors’ choices for the 60’s decade are boring, boring, boring. I cringe to think what you would come up with for someone like me in the 70’s decade with never a facelift or days spent at the gym.

Do you think you can come up with something a little more interesting for the “More Mature” readers?

One last comment – I am tired of seeing Diane Keaton as the icon of the mature woman. I have always admired and enjoyed Ms. Keaton as a actress and she is beautiful. However, it would be refreshing to see you feature (once in a while) someone actually mature in pictorial spreads and advertisements.

Thanks for listening. I will continue to subscribe and enjoy More.--Melinda Freese

Dear Leslie,

Last week was my birthday - 45! I picked More magazine because of the Dressing for Your Decade article (and of course the fabulous cover girl, Connie Britton. Love her! And that hair!)

Share Your Thoughts!

Comments

I have never written a magazine before but you are always asking for comments and feed back, so I felt compelled to write. I enjoy reading MORE and share it with friends when I finish. The articles are appropriate and very informative but in looking at the ads I find a big discrepancy in the age of women you are "writing" for and the appearance of the models. Except for maybe Diane Keaton, I couldn't find a model that looked "mature" and had any wrinkles. I would like to see more advertising with vibrant, more mature realistic looking women since that is the demographic your magazine is written for. Thanks for letting me share my comment.

I read More cover-to-cover every month and have never written in before, but the article on the pills we can't kick was a major eye-opener. I was prescribed Effexor 3 years ago when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was supposed to stop the hot flashes brought on by suddenly stopping HRT. After reading your article, I began to research Effexor and found that it causes hot flashes(!) and many other pretty nasty side effects. I started to taper off a few weeks ago and stopped taking it completely 6 days ago. The withdrawals are awful--really, truly awful--but I know eventually they will stop and I will no longer be putting my health in jeopardy taking a drug that isn't even meant to do what it was prescribed to do. If I still have hot flashes, I will suffer them naturally. I already take Black Cohash and will add other supplements or vitamins to help. Thank you so much for such an important article.

No no no.....no 30 somethings in More! You promised a magazine for women over 40 - please honor that! And while you are at it, it wouldn't hurt to add "This is what 70 looks like". I read More front to back and back to front. I used to shop your ads for products I knew would be for me at my age.....but this is uncomfortably becoming more of my daughters' magazine. We deserve the More original market - I am waiting to spend....

I love More, and I love Connie Britton. And believe me, I am no prude. But I did not love the girlie-mag photos that accompanied an otherwise very good story on this very interesting, strong and intelligent woman. Did I pick up the wrong magazine? Have I turned into my Great-Aunt Lila Lee, who would have been shocked and appalled by the overtly sexy display of Ms. Britton's bits, barely covered with scanty scraps? I believe in celebrating our fabulousness. But I have to wonder -- to what audience were you playing with those photos? Has More decided to be Maxim?

I have become very disillusioned with MORE. It seems you are trying to reach a younger demographic (already more than well served) by including the 30s, whilst paying less attention to women in their 60s and 70s. I am 51 and have nothing in common with women in their 30s with regards to skin care, lifestyle, etc. Reading other womens' comments, I see I am not alone in this point of view. I would love to hear from the Editor on why the 30 somethings are now included.

I enjoy your magazine, but often think it is geared to women of a different lifestyle than my on-the-go mom and teacher life. I was looking through the Stylebook: Dressing for the Decades, and found a pair of shoes I had to have whether in the teacher budget or not. So I went to the Vince Camuto site to find the studded black sandals shown and nothing! How disappointing that I finally take the plunge and follow a piece of information from your magazine only to be unable to even find a picture of the same sandals. It is only March 3rd, hard to believe the season/trend/moment has eclipsed me already. Just another lesson for this everyday teacher to learn.
Sadly Shoeless,
Kate Dockham